Last Modified: Friday, October 24, 2008 at 7:52 p.m.

I speak of course about “the sign!” You know, Realtor Jimmie Edney’s “Osama Obama” ditty displayed on his Land of The Sky Realty sign board.

In case you have been vacationing in Alaska and are completely out of touch (ouch! that was below the belt) let me just say this. Jimmy Edney, a Henderson County native, expressed his opinion. Period.

Edney, along with many others truly believe Barack Obama is a terrorist in disguise. These people believe he is another “Manchurian Candidate” programed to help Islamo-facists take over America. (I wonder, will they take over the national debt as well).

Is Edney’s thinking correct? Is this position based on actual facts? Is this belief stupid?

(Answers are: No, no, and yes)

This belief is coarse crude and ignorant. It is a belief living in the tangled underbrush of a paranoid mind.

Now, having said that, it is also a belief that should be allowed!

I totally agree with the protestors who fought against the content of Edney’s message. But I am totally against those people who demanded the sign be removed.

I once hailed liberalism for its belief in freedom. After spending a half century as a liberal, however, I began noticing a definite change in the liberal attitude.

The sign offended many area liberals. Ergo: They wanted to remove it. Ban it. Censor it. Do away with this noxious belief.

Isn’t it astonishing? Modern day liberals have become just as nutty as the right wing element they used to mock! It used to be the lunatic fringe on the right that demanded removal of anything that disagreed with their beliefs.

Maybe liberals got jealous. I don’t know. I do know this liberalism spawned political correctness.

In trying to protect people’s “feelings” free speech fell victim to this new corruption of our basic freedoms.

Good intentions were behind political correctness. The problem is when citizens demand removal or censorship of anything that offends them, where does it stop? Round and round she goes and nobody knows.

While Jimmy Edney’s belief is questionable, his right to express that belief is not. If Jimmy Edney believes there’s no such thing as Santa Claus he has every right as an American to publish that belief on his sign board. He’s gonna catch hell from area children though.

The fact is Jimmy Edney did catch hell from many citizens. Thankfully he himself said protestors had every right to protest his sign just as he had every right to display it. Good for Edney. He recognizes the truth about our blessed nation.

Do people have a right to demand its removal? Of course they do. They can only do so however if they are willing to take a chance in destroying the very genius that makes America the great nation it is.

For when we tamper with another person’s right to speak their mind we are also destroying that power which gives us the same freedom.

Many have written into the Times-News telling Jimmy Edney he never should have published that sign as it gave Hooterville a bad name. I say unto you, as long as our city is willing to respect a person’s right of free speech, our city shall never have a bad name.

As a Marine veteran who defended Edney’s right to speak his mind, however foolish, I am ashamed of all those who dared to censor this man’s freedom.

<p>Jimmy Edney, American citizen, stand up and take a bow for exercising your right of free speech!</p><p>Well now! What furor! What a tempest in a teacup!</p><p>I speak of course about the sign! You know, Realtor Jimmie Edney’s Osama Obama ditty displayed on his Land of The Sky Realty sign board.</p><p>In case you have been vacationing in Alaska and are completely out of touch (ouch! that was below the belt) let me just say this. Jimmy Edney, a Henderson County native, expressed his opinion. Period.</p><p>Edney, along with many others truly believe Barack Obama is a terrorist in disguise. These people believe he is another Manchurian Candidate programed to help Islamo-facists take over America. (I wonder, will they take over the national debt as well).</p><p>Is Edney’s thinking correct? Is this position based on actual facts? Is this belief stupid?</p><p>(Answers are: No, no, and yes)</p><p>This belief is coarse crude and ignorant. It is a belief living in the tangled underbrush of a paranoid mind.</p><p>Now, having said that, it is also a belief that should be allowed!</p><p>I totally agree with the protestors who fought against the content of Edney’s message. But I am totally against those people who demanded the sign be removed.</p><p>I once hailed liberalism for its belief in freedom. After spending a half century as a liberal, however, I began noticing a definite change in the liberal attitude.</p><p>The sign offended many area liberals. Ergo: They wanted to remove it. Ban it. Censor it. Do away with this noxious belief.</p><p>Isn’t it astonishing? Modern day liberals have become just as nutty as the right wing element they used to mock! It used to be the lunatic fringe on the right that demanded removal of anything that disagreed with their beliefs.</p><p>Maybe liberals got jealous. I don’t know. I do know this liberalism spawned political correctness.</p><p>In trying to protect people’s feelings free speech fell victim to this new corruption of our basic freedoms.</p><p>Good intentions were behind political correctness. The problem is when citizens demand removal or censorship of anything that offends them, where does it stop? Round and round she goes and nobody knows.</p><p>While Jimmy Edney’s belief is questionable, his right to express that belief is not. If Jimmy Edney believes there’s no such thing as Santa Claus he has every right as an American to publish that belief on his sign board. He’s gonna catch hell from area children though.</p><p>The fact is Jimmy Edney did catch hell from many citizens. Thankfully he himself said protestors had every right to protest his sign just as he had every right to display it. Good for Edney. He recognizes the truth about our blessed nation.</p><p>Do people have a right to demand its removal? Of course they do. They can only do so however if they are willing to take a chance in destroying the very genius that makes America the great nation it is.</p><p>For when we tamper with another person’s right to speak their mind we are also destroying that power which gives us the same freedom.</p><p>Many have written into the Times-News telling Jimmy Edney he never should have published that sign as it gave Hooterville a bad name. I say unto you, as long as our city is willing to respect a person’s right of free speech, our city shall never have a bad name.</p><p>As a Marine veteran who defended Edney’s right to speak his mind, however foolish, I am ashamed of all those who dared to censor this man’s freedom.</p><p>Your attitude is nothing less than petty tyranny itself.</p>